Chapter 221: Franklin's Resolve
Chrollo had indeed mastered the Double Face (Bookmark).
Relying on a single ability at a time had always been Chrollo's primary limitation. With the addition of the bookmark, he could now link the various stolen Hatsu within Skill Hunter, creating devastating combos that were greater than the sum of their parts.
Ronin wasn't surprised.
While Chrollo wasn't supposed to develop the bookmark for another few years in the original timeline, Ronin's presence had acted as a catalyst. By constantly pushing the Spider's Head to the brink, Ronin had accelerated Chrollo's growth.
But what ability is he marking? Ronin wondered.
The answer manifested instantly: Monkeys.
As Chrollo inserted the bookmark and flipped to a secondary page, three Nen Monkeys materialized in the air near Ronin.
Ronin's pupils contracted.
He had expected Chrollo to use a Hatsu that complimented Nobunaga's speed, or perhaps a spatial ability to help plant Shalnark's antennas. He never expected Chrollo to summon these specific entities.
Saiyu.
The Monkey of the Zodiacs. A master martial artist and Beyond Netero's ally. His Hatsu—the three monkeys capable of stripping sight, hearing, and speech—was legendary within the Association.
By summoning the icons of Mizaru, Kikazaru, and Iwazaru, Chrollo had confirmed the unthinkable: he had successfully neutralized a Zodiac and stolen his power.
Did Beyond set Saiyu up as a sacrifice? Or did Chrollo find a way to trap a Zodiac on his own?
Ronin leaned toward the former. Saiyu was a combat specialist; catching him alive to steal his ability was a task that should have been beyond even the Troupe's capabilities.
If Beyond had brokered the deal, it meant he saw a greater opportunity in Chrollo's potential than in Saiyu's loyalty. Beyond was using the Spiders as a whetstone for Ronin, and Ronin as a test for the Spiders.
The "Rat" and the "Monkey" were being played by the "Dragon."
I don't have time for the 'Why' right now, Ronin thought, his focus narrowing. I just can't let Mizaru touch me.
Nobunaga was charging at high speed, but to Ronin, he was the lesser threat. Even at his peak, Nobunaga was a melee fighter. He had to enter Ronin's range to strike.
But as the swordsman reached the four-meter mark, his momentum suddenly died. He didn't stop; he hit a wall of invisible, viscous air.
Amenotokotachi.
Ronin had triggered the stasis the moment he dropped the Susanoo. However, instead of targeting the enemy, he had cast it as a hollow sphere centered on himself.
This spherical stasis field acted as an absolute barrier. Anything entering the radius was frozen, while Ronin—sitting in the "empty" center—remained free to weave seals and move.
Ronin clapped his hands together.
Time to clear the board.
Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!
The moment Ronin deactivated the stasis, a massive dragon head of white-hot fire erupted from his mouth. It lunged at Nobunaga, who was still recovering from the sudden loss of momentum.
Nobunaga's form was swallowed by the inferno.
Suddenly, an explosion occurred inside the flames. The dragon head was torn apart from the inside. Nobunaga emerged, his clothes charred and smoking, but his hand was still locked on his hilt.
The explosion had provided a secondary propellant. Nobunaga used the shockwave to launch himself forward, closing the final two meters to Ronin in a blur.
His four-meter En was about to overlap with Ronin's body.
But a second fire dragon lunged from the side, its jaws snapping shut around the swordsman.
Ronin had released three dragons.
He hadn't let go of the seal. Chakra flowed through his fingers, manipulating the remaining fire constructs. One kept Nobunaga pinned, while the third lunged at the three incoming Nen Monkeys.
In his peripheral vision, Ronin spotted a shimmer on the floor.
Nen threads were snaking toward him, nearly invisible.
Machi.
She was using In to hide her threads, attempting to bind his legs while he was focused on the dragons.
Ronin noted a metallic glit on one of the threads—a Black Voice antenna.
Across the room, Franklin watched as Nobunaga was pinned for the second time. A look of ruthless resolve crossed the giant's face.
The dark orifice in his chest—the specialized launch bay he had created for this mission—wasn't just a transport tool. It was a Cooperative Hatsu.
When he launched Nobunaga, his teammate had been encased in a layer of Franklin's own aura. It acted like the warhead of a missile, designed to detonate upon contact with the target's defense to provide an opening.
But the "Missile" had failed to reach the mark.
Franklin looked down at his own chest. With Nobunaga gone, the dark cavity revealed a hidden icon: A Crimson Skull.
Standard tactics won't work on a demon like Ronin, Franklin realized.
He watched the fire dragons engage the monkeys. He didn't know what "Plan B" Chrollo had prepped, but he knew his own role.
He retracted his "Hand Cannon" hands, but instead of resuming the machine-gun fire, he pressed his palms against the skull mark on his sternum.
A square hatch on his chest popped open, revealing a glowing, high-density core of aura and mechanical components.
If a standard missile couldn't end Ronin, what about a Human-Portable Tactical Nuke powered by a Spider's entire life force?
Ronin sensed a sudden, terrifying spike in aura from Franklin, but he didn't have time to look. He leaped into the air, bringing his feet together in a sharp, clapping motion.
As he landed, a violent spray of water erupted from the floorboards, radiating outward from Ronin like a shockwave.
The wall of high-pressure liquid acted as a literal "rinse," washing away Machi's hidden threads and the antenna they carried before they could latch on.
Water Style: Water Wall!
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